Transactions of the American Philosophical Society


Book Description

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.




The Long Route to the Invention of the Telescope


Book Description

After the telescope became known in 1608-1609, a number of people in widely separate locations claimed that they had such a device long before the announcement came from The Hague; in the summer of 1608, no one had a telescope, in the summer of 1609, everyone had one. For a number of years author Rolf Willach has quietly tested early spectacle lenses in museums and private collections, and now he reports on this study, which gives an entirely new explanation of the invention of the telescope and solves the conundrum mentioned above. Willach is an optical engineer and independent scholar who worked for several years in the Department of Physics at the Institute of Astronomy in Bern. He has written extensively on the history of the development of optics and the telescope.




"Realms of Gold"


Book Description

This volume is a catalog of the rich & extensive collection of maps in the Library of the American Philosophical Soc. (APS) in Philadelphia. it contains information on some 1,750 printed maps, over 1,000 manuscript maps, 136 atlases, two globes, & one model. Murphy Smith began this project in 1985 shortly after he retired from his long career as Associate Librarian of the Society, when Librarian Edward C. Carter II named him Andrew W. Mellon Sr. Research Fellow. Smith came to be recognized as one of the most knowledgeable & helpful historical RCRA librarians in the country. Illustrations.